"Ef she'd up an' slapped me in the face, I shouldn't hev ben more
throwed aback, fer I never mistrusted she cared two chips for me. I
jest set an' gawped; fer she was solemn trew, I see that with half
an eye, an' it kinder took my breath away. Bewlah drawed the grewel
off the fire, wiped her hands, an' stood lookin' at me a minnet,
then she sez, slow an' quiet, but tremblin' a little, as women hev a
way er doin', when they've consid'able steam aboard,--

"'Hiram, other folks think lumberin' has spilt yeou; I don't; they
call yeou rough an' rewd; I know you've got a real kind heart fer
them as knows haow tew find it. Them girls give yeou up so easy,
'cause they never loved yeou, an' yeou give them up 'cause yeou only
thought abaout their looks an' money. I'm humly, an' I'm poor; but
I've loved yeou ever sence we went a-nuttin' years ago, an' yeou
shook daown fer me, kerried my bag, and kissed me tew the gate, when
all the others shunned me, 'cause my father drank an' I was shably
dressed, ugly, an' shy. Yeou asked me in sport, I answered in
airnest; but I don't expect nothin' unless yeou mean as I mean. Like
me, Hiram, or leave me, it won't make no odds in my lovin' er yeou,
nor helpin' er yeou, ef I kin.'

"'Tain't easy tew say haouw I felt, while she was goin' on that way;
but my idees was tumblin' raound inside er me, as ef half a dozen
dams was broke loose all tew oncet. One thing was ruther stiddier 'n
the rest, an' that was that I liked Bewlah morn'n I knew. I begun
tew see what kep me loopin' tew hum so much, sence aunt was took
daown; why I want in no hurry tew git them other gals, an' haow I
come tew pocket my mittens so easy arfter the fust rile was over.
Bewlah was humly, poor in flesh, dreadful freckled, hed red hair,
black eyes, an' a gret mold side er her nose. But I'd got wonted tew